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Vipers win feisty affair to take series lead over Colts

The Red Deer Vipers routed the Mountainview Colts 7-1 in a wild game Wednesday night that saw 185 penalty minutes dished out in the third period alone.

Red Deer solved Colts star goalie Thomas Della-Siega just 2:56 into the game as Declan Johnston capitalized on a great 2-on-1 feed from rookie Jacksyn Goodall, giving Red Deer a 1-0 lead.

The Vipers offence exploded in the second period. Lane Sim scored 1:51 into the frame to put the Vipers up 2-0. Mack Differenz scored a few minutes later just as a Colt was stepping out of the penalty box. Mountainview cut the Viper lead to 3-1 when Wyatt Gelinas scored a power play goal at 9:56. But while that goal was still being announced, Austin Thorne put Red Deer back up by three at 10:06. Logan Linnell would wait all of 35 seconds before extending the Viper lead to 5-1.

The Vipers weren’t done yet as rookie forward Cooper Willms tallied at 15:06 of the third period to make it a 6-1 game. The next goal set off a final five minutes of regulation that took an eternity to play. Vipers defenceman Damien Chopek scored his first goal of the 2017-18 campaign at 17:05 of the third period. A scrum ensued after the goal in which five players earned 10-minute misconducts, thus ending their nights.

The rodeo wasn’t over yet as emotions exploded again 29 seconds later. Colts forward Reed Engman got a match penalty for butt-ending which set off another melee in the Colts zone. This time it was Bailey Lawson, Austin Thorne and Jordan Volk who saw the showers early for Red Deer. Engman was tossed for his actions along with Caden Switzer and Laine Rothenbusch for Mountainview. Fortunately for both clubs, no one appeared to be seriously injured. However, Lane Sim left earlier in the period due to a minor facial injury but will return for game four.

There was supplemental discipline handed down by the HJHL. Colts captain Colton Anderson’s hit that injured Sim drew an immediate reaction from defencemen Brody Kalinowski. Each were handed a one- game ban for getting ejected in the final 10 minutes for fighting. Reed Engman will sit for three games for his match penalty in the final minutes.

Game four of the best of five series, which the Vipers lead 2-1, goes Friday night at 8 p.m. in Didsbury.

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